


I Fear to Love You and I Fear to Lose You

by Aelig



Series: Comfortember 2020 [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: (eight year old is baby alright), (yet), Angst, Anxiety, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Dick Grayson is Not Robin, Dick Grayson is still a baby, Earth-197, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Ransom, Worried Parent Bruce Wayne, mention of harm done to a child, nothing too violent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:29:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27388738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aelig/pseuds/Aelig
Summary: "Somehow, when he took Dick in, he never consider that it would make a target out of the boy. It didn't, at first; not until the first kidnapping, and the camera that caught his tears of relief when the kid had been in his arms again, after the fear and the ransom. Not until the world got to see how much he loved and cared for Dick, and how it could be used against him. "OR: Eight-year-old Dick get kidnapped, and Bruce doesn't cope well.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne
Series: Comfortember 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996051
Comments: 14
Kudos: 192





	I Fear to Love You and I Fear to Lose You

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!! I hope you are all okay!! 
> 
> I had so much trouble with this prompt lmao. In the end, i didn't even write what i wanted to write xD But i still like this one so :D It also turned out more Angst than Comfort ooops. 
> 
> The idea and the whole kidnapping thing it's 100% because of the batfam +18 server so i'm blaming them. Also, big thanks to Soph for being my beta!!! You're wonderful ly. 
> 
> Good read to you all!!

Bruce wasn't a stranger to the curl of fear and dread in his stomach. It was just terribly different this time.

He was used to being the target; he had been Batman for the last two years, after all. He had been used to that, too, as Bruce Wayne – with his wealth, in a city like Gotham, it was always bound to happen.

Somehow, when he took Dick in, he never consider that it would make a target out of the boy. It didn't, at first; not until the first kidnapping, and the camera that caught his tears of relief when the kid had been in his arms again, after the fear and the ransom. Not until the world got to see how much he loved and cared for Dick, and how it could be used against him.

Bruce knew that after that incident, he became – _overprotective_ , maybe. But Dick was _eight_ , he was a child and needed to be protected, not exposed to people with less than good intentions. And, if he had to be honest – and, well, for Dick, concerning him, he tried his best to be – he also developed some sort of separation anxiety.

Dinah's words, not his.

The boy didn't really like leaving his side either, which helped Bruce's efforts to keep an eye on him. That was probably why Bruce hadn't fought when Dick asked to meet the Justice League, and to come with him to the next meeting. That was definitely why the other Leaguers were now all aware of his identity and took a liking to the boy. (Who wouldn't, really?)

Theoretically speaking, Bruce knew Dick could be a target for kidnapping, or hostage situation, or whatever Gotham's worsts could throw at him. He _knew_ , but no attempt had been made after the first incident, and somehow Bruce had been lured into a false sense of security.

Because today Dick had been kidnapped, and Bruce could do nothing to save his boy.

He received the ransom call in his office, and now he couldn't leave it – the police were here, trying to help, to find the kidnappers, to give him advice about how to deal with the situation.

And Bruce was doing his best to not panic – because his boy was alone with people who probably wouldn't mind hurting him to achieve their goal, and he couldn't help in any way that mattered. He could only _pay_ – and he would do it in a heartbeat, obviously, he didn't even have to think twice about it – but he couldn't really act either, and he hated it. The inaction, the waiting, the pacing in his office while officers and cops talked and looked and searched but got _nothing_.

Bruce wanted to go out there and look out for Dick himself, but he couldn't. He was watched closely, Gordon himself being here. The Commissioner at least understood perfectly his anguish – he himself had a daughter, after all.

(And Bruce knew Barbara, because she had been over at the Manor not that long ago, playing video games with Dick in the den. They had met once, and were now inseparable. It was cute, really. But their laughs still echoed in his ears and it _ached_ to think about it, knowing that maybe, just maybe, there was a slight possibility of it never happening again.

Bruce knew the statistics, knew that sometimes the hostages were never found again, or were found too late, and it didn't ease the knot in his stomach.)

“Anything yet?” he asked, stopping his pacing in the time for the answer to come to him; like the last three times he asked, it was only a shake of a head, a defeated expression. Bruce grunted, and went back to his pacing.

Someone knocked on the door, and Bruce stopped again. Lucius Fox, his CEO and one of the people he trusted the most, entered.

“All the money is here,” said Lucius, gesturing to the case he had in hand. “Has anything changed? Any words from the kidnappers?”

“Nothing more than the first call,” answered Bruce, taking the case from his friend. “Thank you, Lucius.”

The man smiled at him. Gordon rejoined them – he was obviously worried and trying to not show it, which wasn't reassuring to Bruce.

“We're almost at the time limit. They will probably call soon to communicate the drop-out point.”

“I'll pay,” said Bruce, not for the first time. He cared more about Dick than about his money anyway.

Gordon nodded before speaking again, “It will only encourage them further, you know? You pay once and it will never end.”

“I'll deal with that later. For now, I only care about getting Dick back.”

“Alright,” sighed Gordon. “It's your call.” He went back to his officers, probably exchanging with them the new development.

Lucius placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder and squeezed it in support. “It will be okay. Call me when you get Dick, alright?”

Bruce nodded. “I will.”

The kidnappers didn't call. Instead, they sent him a message via Dick's phone; the boy was supposed to have it only for emergencies. An address was attached to it, as well as a picture of Dick himself. His hands were tied up behind his back and his mouth gagged with duct tape. He didn't look really hurt aside from a red mark on his cheek, surely where they slapped him during the earlier phone call – they wanted to prove a point. His eyes were scared, though, and he looked every bit an eight year old right now.

Bruce wanted to hug him so badly, and never let him go.

He also wanted to get his hands on the ones who did that to his son, and make them regret ever _looking_ in his direction.

Bruce didn't lose any more time with the police and whatever they wanted to do; he exited his office silently, only alerting Lucius of the message. He could count on him to pass the information.

Soon he was in his car, driving to the rendezvous point. It was situated near the dock, on the other side of Gotham; it would take him some time to reach it. Too long, always too long – he just wanted to get to Dick _right now_ , not wait even a moment more.

Twenty minutes later, he finally pulled the car into a stop. He didn't take him long to grab the case and enter the warehouse in front of him.

“Hello?” he called. Everything was dark, with no one in sight. It wasn't promising at all.

“Bruce Wayne. We've been waiting for you,” came a voice from his right. There was still no light, the only thing helping Bruce to see being the door still not completely closed behind him.

“Where is my son?” he asked immediately.

The same voice, probably the leader, answered him. “Here. Do you have the money?”

Bruce gritted his teeth, the urge to give a strong smack to the man and his smug tone, “Yes.”

“Put it down, and step back face against the wall.”

Bruce did as he was told, not protesting even once. He could only think about Dick, about getting to him and hold him in his arms again, and if he had to obey and stay silent for that to happen, then he would gladly do it. He could hear footstep and shuffling, quiet whispers and the case being taken.

Finally, the kidnapper talked again. “The boy is locked up somewhere around here. Good luck finding him.” He had a short laugh, obviously walking away, but Bruce couldn't hear him anymore.

He could only feel his heartbeat throb like crazy in his blood, his head, his whole body. His breath had been taken away by the announcement. ' _Somewhere in here_ ' could be _anywhere_. He had to – he had to look out for Dick _now_. The warehouse was big, it could take hours to find the boy, and in the meantime he could be hurting, or worse – who knew what could happen, what the kidnappers did to him?

He let out a shaky breath before raising his head, moving, looking everywhere around him. The kidnappers had already left and Bruce honestly didn't care right now.

He just wanted _his son_.

“Dick! Dick, can you hear me?” He started to search, using the light from his phone to help, calling from time to time Dick's name; but nothing ever answered him back, neither did he find anything. Bruce started to get more and more frantic as the minutes passed, his stomach in a knot, barely breathing correctly anymore, bumping into crates and walls because he couldn't really see.

He couldn't lose Dick. He _couldn't_. The boy was his whole world, making his life better in every way, brightening everything around him. He couldn't lose Dick – Bruce wasn't sure he could survive the loss of his child.

“Dick!” He called again, more distraught; and this time, finally, a muffled sound answered him. “Dick!”

Bruce immediately went in the direction the sound came from, but his way was blocked by yet another crate. However, this time, when he tripped over it, the box barely moved. It was heavy, he could feel it from where it was; and then, he heard a sound again.

From inside the crate.

Bruce fell on his knees before it, immediately scratching at it and trying to find a way to open it.

“I'm here, I'm here, I'm here....” he murmured, his hands clutching at every gap in the wood in an attempt to break the crate open. Finally, he felt it creak behind his fingers, and soon he was able to pray the wood apart. “Dick!”

His boy was here, curled up in the crate. He had tears on his cheeks.

Once the hole was wide enough, Bruce picked Dick up immediately. His weight and warmth against him were the most beautiful things in the world. He kissed his head, “I'm here, chum, I'm here. Everything will be okay.”

He carefully untied the boy's arms, moving him a little so he would be comfortable against his chest. “I'm going to rip the duct tap off, alright?” He pressed the boy against him, and did as he told; Dick let out a little whine followed by a sniffle.

“ _Bruce_.”

It didn't take more for Bruce to hug tight his kid against him. “I'm here, baby, I'm here.” He didn't stop talking to a crying Dick, caressing his hair, pressing kisses in the crown of his head. “I got you,” he murmured, only for his child to hear in the silence of the warehouse.

They stayed like that until the sound of sirens broke the darkness around them.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it :D
> 
> The next day is Cuddling eheh :eyes:
> 
> See you tomorrow!! All the love to you!!


End file.
